"As soon as Rashaan committed to us today, Reuben Foster called me and absolutely said he was a better recruiter than I was," Saban said Wednesday. "He was really responsible for that."

Foster and Evans were teammates at Auburn High for the 2012 season. Foster chose the Crimson Tide over the Tigers despite getting an Auburn University tattoo on his arm months before.

A year later, Evans seemed set to sign with Auburn only to go with Alabama. The Auburn athletic website had a bio and video of Evans on it before Evans made his announcement on ESPNU.

Foster, who played sparingly at linebacker as a true freshman at Alabama last season, was somewhere smiling. Evans, a defensive end, is projected to play linebacker for the Crimson Tide.

"Reuben was actually his host when he took his official (visit)," said Tide early enrollee Shaun Hamilton. "I heard he was down there last week with him. I'm pretty sure Reuben did a lot of work on him in getting him to sign with us."

Hamilton, who starred at Alabama's G.W. Carver High at inside linebacker, said Foster was one of Alabama's current players who played a role in him going to Alabama.

"Reuben was a big impact," Hamilton said. "He did a good job of recruiting me. Telling me how things were. I kind of already met Reuben through recruiting."

Saban said he talked to Evans on Tuesday and this morning before Evans announced his college choice on national television. Saban said he felt confident that Evans would choose Alabama.

"We had lots of conversations with his family," Saban said. "They were concerned about their circumstances of being where they were and the decision they were going to make and how people would react to it. And I said, 'However many people you think you're not going to make happy there, you're going to make a lot more people happy here.' And that's exactly what happened."

The group of four standout players signed from Louisiana faced the same situation when they decided on the Crimson Tide instead of LSU.

"I experienced the most backlash I ever had in my life," said Cameron Robinson, the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle prospect who is from West Monroe. "Leaving Louisiana to go play for not just any school, but Alabama. You just got to let it roll off your shoulders. Just take it with a grain of salt, it wasn't that big of a deal."